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Romeo Blackburn
Romeo Blackburn was a Dragoon loyal to the Zeta Clan. He was one of the few Zeta survivors of Operation Achilles. He would live on to found and lead the Shadows of Delvon, which would later become an unsanctioned faction of White Horse. Early Life Blackburn was born into a wealthy Zeta family in the Zeta capital of Delvon, living a life of privilege in his early years. While some would become arrogant and spoiled in such a setting, he remained humble and respectful. During his time at the academy, his instructors gave him very positive marks and looked forward to his potential upon graduating. This would not be the case however. Operation Achilles When the Alpha Clan gave Operation Achilles the go, Blackburn was in instruction at the academy. Most of the instructors armored up and set out to fight the invading Alphas, some stayed back to take the cadets to safety. Blackburn and most of the older cadets armored up to assist their instructors, and they attempted to flee the capital. Alpha troops intercepted them quickly, however, and trapped them in a violent ambush. Blackburn was knocked unconscious almost instantly. When he woke up, he found himself surrounded by the dead bodies of his instructors and friends. He became extremely distraught when he came upon the bodies of all the younger cadets not too far away, all apparently lined up and executed. Blackburn stripped himself of his armor so he could move quietly and quickly. He made his way through the capital, avoiding conflict and staying out of sight. He managed to get back to his family's flat, but the building had already been torched by the Alpha invaders. Accepting the fact that his parents and brother were either out fighting or dead, he managed to slip through the battle and escape the area. With the Alpha Clan slaughtering anyone with any hint of a connection to the Zeta Clan, Blackburn kept his head low and avoided any contact. Post-Achilles Once the conflict settled down, Blackburn quietly returned to Delvon to see what became of the city he loved. He was disappointed as he observed the strong Alpha occupation. He remained incognito for sometime, but eventually it became clear to him that the Alpha Clan was actively hunting Zeta survivors. He managed to slip out of the city before being detected. Blackburn managed to survive on his own for some time in the Eastern Reach. He eventually managed to meet up with a group of humans who were loyal to the Zeta Clan. Once they decided to trust him, they revealed they were all former members of Zeta Clan's auxilia. Although he didn't reveal he was a dragoon, Blackburn also revealed he was a survivor from Delvon, and the group became set on seeking revenge on the Alpha Clan. Shadows of Delvon The group, consisting of Blackburn and Zeta auxilia, started small and began sabotaging Alpha Clan convoys. This slowly evolved into guerrilla attacks on Alpha companies and assassinations on Alpha hauptmanns. An Alpha survivor of one attack, upon learning that his attackers were Zeta sympathizers, sarcastically made a comment about them being "shadows of Delvon." The name stuck, the Alpha Clan circulating it as the equivalent to a terrorist organization. Those who sympathized with the Zeta Clan, however, loved the name and embraced it. With the team's popularity among Zeta sympathizers, they began to take on new recruits. They were very particular in who they selected. Either way, their numbers began to grow to over 100 members. Eventually the original team, all leaders in the organization, confronted Blackburn about his origins. They all observed him in combat, and they were all convinced he was a dragoon. Blackburn admitted to this fact, and explained he was a Zeta survivor. Although the majority of the team were fine with it, a few individuals determined it was enough for them to quit the team. Regardless, the Shadows of Devlon fought on. Blackburn was able to recover Alpha Clan armor, and he used this armor to sneak into Alpha Clan camps/bases. He also began going out on solo missions to assassinate high profile Alpha Clan officers, including hauptmanns and warlords alike. The Alpha Clan eventually put out a very hefty bounty on Blackburn's head. This only encouraged Blackburn, who became obsessed with killing as many Alpha Clan officers as he possibly could. Many human mercenaries attempted to kill him, but they all failed miserably. Over the years, Blackburn organically became the leader of the group. They all respected him and followed him without question. White Horse With many factions rising against the Alpha Clan, it was inevitable they would start collaborating and working together. When the Alpha Clan committed to the invasion of Roommenor, the united organization known as White Horse was finalized. Although the Shadows of Delvon did not work with White Horse directly, they would often take assignments from White Horse that were deemed too risky. Eventually, the group began leaving the White Horse symbol behind on missions as a calling card. Leaders in the White Horse organization eventually discovered that Blackburn was a dragoon. Although the organization's mission was to destroy the dragoons, they all agreed that working with the Shadows of Delvon and allowing them to operate was in everyone's best interests. As Blackburn continued to assassinate Alpha Clan officers, the more certain leaders of White Horse were convinced to use him for their own means. At one point, White Horse leaders began planning an assassination of the Alpha Clan chieftain, Jeremy Bloomer, and brought Blackburn on-board as the final piece. Before they could carry out their plan, they learned that there was an attempted coup within the Alpha Clan. Upon learning that the coup failed and that security was going to be vastly increased, White Horse decided to cancel the mission. Still, Blackburn continued the travel the Northern Continent with the Shadows of Delvon, killing any Alpha officers that they came across. Road to Armistice Upon hearing about the alliance between the Alpha Clan and the Guardians in Roommenor, Blackburn immediately expressed his concern to White Horse leadership. They initially dismissed his concerns as an overreaction. Once the new alliance marched on the Ivory Tower and killed Malkeris, Blackburn's concern spread across White Horse's leadership. This would change, however, when Cassandra Volice would speak with Jeremy Bloomer and discuss White Horse allying themselves with the Alpha Clan and Guardians. Hunan Summit Cassandra Volice would call all of the leaders of White Horse to Hunan to discuss an important matter. Blackburn was also invited, and he decided to attend the summit. All of the significant leaders of White Horse met at an inn in Hunan. Blackburn and the others filled a conference room. When Volice arrived, three Alpha Clan dragoons accompanied her. Volice spoke of the proposed alliance against the zealots, who had proven to be the real threat to their world. Half of the room disagreed with the idea, including Blackburn. They insisted the Alpha Clan was the real enemy and the real threat to the world. Blackburn spoke out, claiming that he would rather die than work with the "Alpha murderers" who killed his people. Talia Hellion, one of the present Alpha dragoons, attempted to reason with him. Blackburn quickly rejected her reasoning, and he led many White Horse leaders as they walked out. White Horse Civil War Blackburn quickly organized the Shadows of Delvon and other White Horse factions that opposed the alliance with the Alpha Clan. Knowing that top Alpha Clan leaders were close, they attempted to attack the Alpha camp. This was expected, however. The half of White Horse who supported the alliance (led by Cassandra Volice) were supported by the Alpha Clan and the Guardians in the fight against Blackburn and others that opposed the alliance. The battles were overwhelmingly in Volice's favor, and Blackburn had no where to run. Death At the request of Volice, Blackburn was taken prisoner. Volice gave Blackburn a choice: Fight the zealots alongside the alliance or die. Blackburn, despite given multiple chances to change his mind, repeatedly chose to die without hesitation. At his execution, Blackburn took the opportunity to shame Volice. He claimed to know exactly who she was, and he shamed her for not standing up for her family. Volice did not respond to his taunts, and she gave him a quick death.